Song Lyric Sunday: Joe Jackson, “Steppin’ Out”

This week sees us striking out in search of New Wave songs, a bit difficult because so many songs fit the description. I’ve chosen Joe Jackson’s 1982 hit "Steppin’ Out," from his Night And Day album of the same year. Written by Joe himself, it’s a song "about the anticipation and excitement of a drive out around the town." It was inspired by Joe’s time in New York City. I love the bass line…

Now
The mist across the window hides the lines
But nothing hides the colour of the lights that shine
Electricity so fine
Look and dry your eyes

We
So tired of all the darkness in our lives
With no more angry words to say can come alive
Get into a car and drive
To the other side

Me babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light

We
Are young but getting old before our time
We’ll leave the T.V. and the radio behind
Don’t you wonder what we’ll find
Steppin’ out tonight?

You
Can dress in pink and blue just like a child
And in a yellow taxi turn to me and smile
We’ll be there in just a while
If you follow me

Me babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light

Me babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light

Me babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light

Source: AZLyrics

And that’s Song Lyric Sunday (and Song of the Day) for January 29, 2023.

Song Lyric Sunday: Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy”

This week’s theme is country, and I’d like to share one of my more recent favorite songs. So it’s a little on the "pop with cowboy boots" side.

A while back, on Monday for Monday’s Music Moves Me, Stacy, one of the moderators, shared a song that really expressed not just the way I felt that day, but how I feel in general: God Is Great, Beer Is Good, And People Are Crazy.

"People Are Crazy" was written by Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones and recorded by Billy Currington on his second album, 2008’s Little Bit Of Everything. It was released as the second single from the album in March 2009, and was Billy’s third #1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It reached #27 on the Hot 100, #2 on the Canadian Country Singles chart, and #48 on the Canadian Pop chart. The song was nominated for two Grammy awards, one for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and the other for Best Country Song, and was nominated for Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 2010.

This old man and me, were at the bar and we
Were having us some beers and swaping ‘I don’t cares’
Talking politics, blond and red-head chicks
Old dogs and new tricks and habits we ain’t kicked

We talked about God’s grace and all the hell we raised
Then I heard the ol’ man say;
“God is great, beer is good and people are crazy”

He said “I fought two wars,
Been married and divorced”
What brings you to Ohio?
He said “Damned if I know”
We talked an hour or two about every girl we knew
What all we put ’em through
Like two old boys will do

We pondered life and death
He light a cigarette
He said “These damn things will kill me yet;
But God is great, beer is good and people are crazy”

Last call its two a.m., I said goodbye to him
I never talked to him again
Then one sunny day, I saw the old man’s face
Front page obituary, he was a millionaire
He left his fortune to some guy he barely knew,
His kids were mad as hell
But me, I’m doing well
And I drop by today, to just say thanks and pray,
And I left a six-pack right there on his grave and I said;
‘God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy”

God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.

God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.

Source: Lyrics.com

The best songs in any genre tell a story. I think this qualifies.

That’s Song Lyric Sunday (and Song of the Day) for January 22, 2023.

Song Lyric Sunday: The HU, “Wolf Totem”

Source: Melanie

This week’s assignment is “Metal.” Not really one of my favorite genres, but I do like some. There are different subgenres, one in particular being folk metal, of which the Mongolian band The HU is a prime example. Wikipedia tells us

Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for example, Dutch Heidevolk, Danish Sylvatica and Spanish Stone of Erech). It also sometimes features soft instrumentation influenced by folk rock.

The HU is a four-piece ensemble consisting of “Gala” and “Enkush” on the morin khuur (horse fiddle), “Jaya” on the tumur hhuur (Jew’s Harp) and tsuur (an end-blown flute, like a recorder), and “Temka” on the tovshuur (a lute, held and strummed like a guitar). Gala, Enkush, and Temka add throat singing. Their first album, 2018’s Gereg (named for the diplomatic passport in the time of Genghis Khan), received a Gold album in Canada. The second single from the album, “Wolf Totem,” reached #1 on the Billboard Rock Digital Sales and World charts and #5 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

The original lyrics are in Mongolian. This is the English translation according to Genius.

The lion is in a bloody battle to the death
The tiger overcomes the leopard in a match
The elephant thrashes the leopard in a contest
Man intensely struggles with a leopard to contend

We, the lions slaughter the leopards in a match
The tiger beats the leopard in a contest
The elephant trounces the leopard in a fight
Man strenuously strains with a leopard in contention

An instigator, the jealousy of a snake it could be
And Khan Garuda leaps up above into the air
A growl, the jealousy of a tiger it could be
The blue wolf comes too from far away

Hu – hu – hu – hu…
Hu – hu – hu – hu…

Provoked, the snow leopard competes with its rivals

Ten thunderbolts strike at the same time
A hundred hearts energized in the thundering roar
Simultaneously a thousand colliding thunderbolts
And too, ten thousand lightning strikes in the heavens

Hu – hu – hu – hu…
Hu – hu – hu – hu…

This deluge is the leopard battling in a deadly fight
The surges of the leopard scuffling in competion
The awesome leopard swats, blows to overthrow
The glistening leopard slashes in the scramble

Hu – hu – hu – hu…
Hu – hu – hu – hu…

With the speed of the falcon advancing
The wolf’s courage at times flaring up
The strength of horses hooves, their paces pounding
The mark of Genghis Khan, an overwhelming impression

And that’s Song Lyric Sunday and Song of the Day for January 15, 2023.

Song Lyric Sunday: Rain Parade, “You Are My Friend”

Source: Melanie

Once again, we have been assigned to find music in a genre (Paisley Underground) that I have absolutely no freaking clue about. Not to worry: I have The Blogger’s Best Friend© to give me some idea what to do.

Paisley Underground is a musical genre that originated in California. It was particularly popular in Los Angeles, reaching a peak in the mid-1980s. Paisley Underground bands incorporated psychedelia, rich vocal harmonies and guitar interplay, owing a particular debt to 1960s groups such as Love and the Byrds, but more generally referencing a wide range of pop and garage rock revival.

One of the bands discussed is Rain Parade, that formed in 1981, disbanded in 1986, then re-formed in 2012 and is still active. The song I’ve chosen of theirs is “You Are My Friend,” from their 1983 album Emergency Third Rail Power Trip.

You are my friend
So sad this had to end
Some broken things don’t mend
They lie where they fall

You say the knife
Is twisted in your back
You don’t remember that
It was in mine

But you’re my friend
My friend
And you know
Things are not the same (You can’t hide your lies)
‘Cause this time
There’s nothing you can say

Friend
I’m sad it had to end
You can’t bring back the dead
They’re burning down

You’re much too smart
To waste your mind on hate
And you know too late
Don’t be afraid

But you’re my friend
My friend
You are my friend
My friend

Source: Genius

So, that’s Song Lyric Sunday and Song of the Day for January 8, 2023, and yes, this is how I wrote most of my papers in high school and college, which probably explained my C average in each…

Song Lyric Sunday: The Cryan’ Shames, “Sugar And Spice”

Source: Melanie

I was blessed to have grown up in Chicago during the 1960’s, where there was a large and active community of garage bands. So, when Jim announced that this week’s theme would be garage bands, I was in my element.

I chose a song from 1966, “Sugar and Spice” by the Cryan’ Shames. It was a cover of The Searchers’ song from 1963, written by Tony Hatch using the pseudonym Fred Nightingale, which had reached #2 in the UK, #44 in the US, and #11 in Canada. Nationally, The Cryan’ Shames’ version reached #49 in both the US and Canada. In Chicago on WLS, it reached #4 on July 29, 1966.

Sugar and spice and all things nice
Kisses sweeter than wine
Sugar and spice and all things nice
You know that little girl is mine

Everybody stops and stares at my baby
When she’s walkin’ down the street
People passin’ by just look at my baby
’cause my baby looks so sweet
You know she’s..

Sugar and spice and all things nice
Kisses sweeter than wine
Sugar and spice and all things nice
You know that little girl is mine

Everytime we kiss I get that feelin’
Everytime we simply meet
When I see her smile I get that feelin’
’cause my baby looks so sweet
You know she’s..

Sugar and spice and all things nice
Kisses sweeter than wine
Sugar and spice and all things nice
You know that little girl is mine

Never ever known a girl so lovely
Sweet enough to want to eat
Everybody’s crazy ’bout my baby
’cause my baby looks so sweet
You know she’s..

Sugar and spice and all things nice
Kisses sweeter than wine
Sugar and spice and all things nice
You know that little girl is mine